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Pooling Resources

One
of Frontex’s core activities is to provide operational and technical assistance
to EU Member States and certain other countries in the area of border control.

To
fulfil these tasks, Frontex uses experts and equipment made available by Member
States and the Schengen Associated Countries as well as its own resources.

As
the European Border and Coast Guard Regulation (EBCG) gives the Agency an
expanded role, delivering a wider range of technical and expert support, this
pool of resources is set to grow.

An
important part of the Agency’s work is to ensure these pooled resources are in the right
place at the right time. This is especially
relevant for the establishment of Frontex rapid reaction capacity, where the
Agency is tasked to quickly provide assistance to EU Member States that find themselves “under
exceptional and disproportionate migratory pressure”.

Under the EBCG Regulation, EU Member States are expected to contribute to
this rapid reaction capacity by creating a quasi “standing corps” of at least 1500
experts, who have to be available for deployment at short notice. In addition, Frontex
decides annually what number of items of technical equipment is to be available
for the same purpose.

The
teams can be deployed in various activities: Frontex joint operations, rapid
interventions, return interventions and other operations (including rapid return
interventions).

The experts are made available by EU Member States based on the specific
profiles developed by Frontex. These profiles determine the knowledge, skills
and competences that are required to perform certain tasks as part of Frontex
operational activities. Experts are selected for deployment depending on the operational
needs of the task in question. If necessary, teams can also be reinforced with relevant
Frontex and other EU-agencies’ staff members.

Frontex
helps improve the knowledge, skills and competences of the experts made
available for future deployment by providing training. All members of the European
Border and Coast Guard Teams will receive training in
relevant union and international law, including fundamental rights and access
to international protection.

Technical Equipment

Frontex deploys
aerial, maritime and terrestrial equipment as well as small technical equipment
dedicated to border control in the framework of joint operations, migration
management support team deployments, rapid border interventions, return
operations and return interventions provided by EU Member States upon request.

Frontex also deploys its
own equipment, which is acquired, leased or sometimes co-owned with EU Member States.
The Agency is constantly examining new ways to acquire technical equipment. The
new Regulation also foresees the possibility of sharing assets with other
EU-agencies when taking part in multipurpose operations.

On a yearly basis Frontex
identifies the overall minimum number of technical equipment (OMNTE) required
to meet the needs of the Agency. In order to ensure compatibility and
interoperability, the deployed technical equipment must meet technical
standards defined by Frontex.